SAN FRANCISCO — Barry Bonds could say he’ll savor every bit of applause today when he trots to left field at AT&T Park. He could say he’ll be a little more nostalgic, a little more wistful as he counts down the days in what probably is his final month as a Giant.

But do you really expect him to sniffle between pitches?

No, Bonds said he isn’t thinking as if this is the end, despite signals that the organization is

ready to move on without him. He wants to play another season, wants to reach 3,000 hits and believes he has earned the right to do it in a Giants uniform.

In a wide-ranging interview with the MediaNews Group this week, Bonds reflected on his place in Giants history, his future with the club, his production as a 43-year-old and setting the all-time home run record in front of the people most devoted to him.

“There’s nothing like it,” he said. “Nothing like it in the world. To be able to do the things thatI’ve done at home, in front of my fans, my friends and the people I grew up with …

Yes, Bonds could end his career as did Mays, leaving the Giants to finish in another team’s uniform. The situations aren’t completely analogous: Mays was traded to the New York Mets, Bonds is approaching free agency.

But Bonds finds it an interesting parallel, especially because Giants managing partner Peter Magowan has said one of his biggest disappointments was that Mays did not retire as a Giant.

“Well if that’s the case, then how do you think I’m going to go someplace else then?” said Bonds, laughing. “Cuz that’s a pretty big contradiction. You really contradicted yourself right there.”

A segment of the fan base, including many who enjoy blogging and calling into talk radio, have expressed the thought that the Giants cannot find a new winning formula until they divorce themselves of Bonds.

Bonds has heard that theory. He thinks it’s bunk.

“I mean, everybody is entitled to their opinion, but it’s just an opinion,” he said. “You want to take the best player off the team and the team’s supposed to get better? That doesn’t make any sense.”

Bonds leads the National League in on-base percentage (.483) and home run ratio (one per 11.5 at-bats) while starting 109 of 140 games. He already has improved his production from last season, so he could seek a salary at least on par with the $19.3 million he has earned in base salary plus incentives this year.

Sources have indicated the club will look elsewhere for a cleanup presence, perhaps considering Bonds no better than a fallback position. But Bonds said he is confident that his stats — .277 with 28 home runs and 66 RBIs — compare favorably with anyone else the club could find to bat cleanup.

“I figure if you put up the numbers and do what you’re supposed to do out there, it’s going to speak for itself,” he said. “You don’t have to worry about the other stuff. If you want to quiet people, go out there and do your job and shut them up all you want to.

“Play the game to your best ability, and you should be rewarded for that. And if you’re not, that’s their problem. That’s not your fault. Because you did your job. If you’ve done more than what was asked of you, then you’ll have nothing to hang your head about.

“If they choose to do something different, that’s their choice. It’s nothing to do with you personally. I feel I’ve done my job — and some.

“My point is this: My numbers warrant what I’ve done. So I don’t have to talk about it, I don’t have to explain it. It speaks for itself.”

Bonds said it’s too early to talk turkey, but he expects negotiations this winter to be cleaner and quicker.

“It won’t be a week before spring training,” said Bonds, who signed his contract for 2007 in February, more than two months after the financial terms were agreed upon. “I won’t go through what I went through last year. I just won’t, period.”

Bonds would prefer to know the Giants’ intentions early, so he can tailor his workouts.

“It takes more time to get ready at my age,” he said. “Once I get to that (retirement) mind-set, there’s no coming back. If you drag it out, it’ll take me more time to prepare. Then it could be May. That’s your problem, not mine.”

Bonds’ final game as a Giant could come at Dodger Stadium, where San Francisco finishes this season. It would be a strange place to finish, but however it ends, Bonds has cherished being able to perform for 15 seasons in his own backyard.

“When they say it’s tough to play in your hometown, it’s not that hard to me,” he said. “It’s not. You just have to want it. You have to want to do it, you’ve got to love it. People are going to expect more out of you too because you’re a hometown boy. You have to be willing to step up to the challenge.

“That’s fun, and I’ve been able to do that most of my career. You get to a certain age (that) they appreciate it, whether you do good or bad. Cuz you’ve been able to give them so much excitement for so many years. Not just one, not just two. I’ve been able to do it for a lot of years.”

Maybe it takes one of the world's most elitist institutions -- a monarchy, for goodness' sake -- to provide a view of Christianity rooted not in conservative cultural warfare (or unrelenting support for Donald Trump) but in an egalitarian love.